MLB.com beat writer Brian McTaggart blogs about all things Astros.

Results tagged ‘ Ed Wade ’

The Astros have extended the contract of general manager Ed Wade through 2012, a Major League baseball source has confirmed. The club has not commented, but an official announcement is expected later today.

Wade has hired on Sept. 20, 2007 and is entering his third full season as the club’s 11th general manager. A veteran of 33 Major League seasons, Wade spent eight years as the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies (1998-2005) before coming to the Astros.

Some of Wade’s biggest additions have been center fielder MichaelBourn, who won team Most Valuable Player honors in 2009 after hitting .285 and stealing 61 bases. Trades for LaTroy Hawkins and Randy Wolf were solid additions, with Wolf helping the Astros make a late-season surge in 2008.

Can you imagine how different the Astros’ winter would have been had Jose Valverde accepted arbitration and LaTroy Hawkins accepted their contract offer? The Astros would have liked to have been able to bring Hawkins back and took a huge risk by offering arbitration to Valverde, but the departure of both opened doors and wallets.

Astros general manager Ed Wade signed Brandon Lyon, Pedro Feliz and Brett Myers, traded for Matt Lindstrom and picked up two draft picks, including a first-round pick. Things couldn’t have worked out much better for the Astros, who would have been hamstrung had Valverde accepted arbitration.

Valverde winds up not making as much in 2010 as he would have with the Astros, but he got the comfort of a two-year deal with an option. The Astros got what they wanted, too, and even more. With Spring Training around the corner, the Astros are hitting the finish line of the Hot Stove season with a smile on their faces.

“I thought we entered into the Valverde situation in a win-win situation,” Wade said. “If he had accepted arbitration, we would have ended up with the best free-agent closer on the market. As it turned out, we were able to satisfy the back end of the bullpen with Lyon and Lindstrom and to score draft picks, particularly a first-round draft pick, is very satisfying.

“I like what he did for us and we would have loved to have him back, but at end of the day we have to look at end results and we felt that being able to add two additional draft picks in 2010 is a pretty favorable conclusion for us.”

With more than 100 free agents still on the market and the start of Spring Training six weeks away, things will begin heating up as the month of January progresses. Those hoping for the Astros to open their wallets shouldn’t get their hopes up. The Astros won’t be a player for any of the remaining big-name free agents.

Houston signed right-hander Josh Banks to a Minor League deal this week to compete for a spot in the bullpen. Expect the Astros to perhaps sign another pitcher or two to a Minor League deal before the start of Spring Training, and they are also are in the market for a left-handed-hitting outfielder.

“It’s pretty quiet, even from an industry standpoint,” general manager Ed Wade said. “I talked to some other clubs and talked a few agents over the holidays and things seem to be very quiet on just about every front. That will change now that everybody is back from the holidays and we’ve still got a rather large list of free agents out there.

“By virtue of the fact you have a lot of players on the free agent market, that could have an impact on trade discussions as well. It’s not a great trade environment at this point in time because teams will wait to see if they can satisfy their needs through free agency rather than giving up players in return.”

Wade doesn’t anticipate any problems reaching deals with any of the arbitration-eligible players, and he doesn’t plan on working on multi-year deals with rising stars Bourn, Pence and Rodriguez.

“At this point, our focus is going to be a year at a time,” Wade said. “That could change, but at this point we think it’s proven to stay short versus long. Our goal and our expectation is to get all of our eligible players signed and not have to go through the process itself.”

The players and clubs can exchange salary figures Jan. 20. If no deal is reached, hearings will be held Feb. 1-21.

Astros general manager Ed Wade emerged from his suite Wednesday morning to do a radio interview, and I was able to grab him for a few minutes. Wade never discusses trades except in general terms, but the Astros have been rumored to a few different players, including RafaelSoriano of the Braves. Soriano accepted arbitration, and now the Braves need to move him.

Houston is still pursuing LaTroy Hawkins, who’s in Indianapolis. Hawkins met with the Brewers early Wednesday, but Wade was still hopeful he’d return to Houston.

Here’s what Wade had to say on a few topics.

Q: What is new on the trade front?

A: “We’ve got offers out on the table and a couple of other meetings scheduled for the next couple of hours but until somebody says yes, nothing is done. We’ve had one meeting with an agent and have had internal discussion on a trade possibility that we’re trying to do our homework to see if it’s something we want to pursue to see if it’s viable or not.”

Q: Do you have enough chips in the Minors to get a deal done?

A: “It’s in the eye of the beholder. Somebody’s got to evaluate our system and I think if there are pieces that make sense. We had in inquiry from one club where I do think we have the pieces to make it work, names that they came up that we responded, too. We have to be aggressive, but we also have to be somewhat protective of the depth if we can.”

A: “We have a couple of things out there. There are some bullpen solutions there, there are some offensive tweak solutions out there, whether any or all of them get to the finish line remains to be seen. I think we’ve been aggressive on the fronts we’re capable of being aggressive on. We’ve taken it to the point where our level of interest has clearly been stated and a lot of stuff one would think people would be compelled to get back in touch with us if they want to follow through on that.”

Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith, general manager Ed Wade, assistant general managers Ricky Bennett, David Gottfried and Bobby Heck and the rest of the club’s front-office crew arrived in chilly Indianapolis late Sunday in advance of baseball’s Winter Meetings.

The Winter Meetings begin Monday and figure to bring some wheeling and dealing, but the Astros likely won’t be making much news. They don’t have a lot of money to spend and don’t have many tradable commodities, but you can’t rule out Wade from doing something.

The No. 1 piece of news figures to come Monday when the Astros find out if closer JoseValverde accepted arbitration. If he did, he’s a signed player and will return for 2010 at probably around $10 million. If he rejects and signs with another team, the Astros get two draft picks.

Yes, the Astros need starting pitching like every team, but they aren’t in the market for big-name starting pitchers because the market is expensive. Wade wants to add some bench depth, beef up the back end of the bullpen and he will explore third base options.

Houston has already re-signed Geoff Blum to play third base and also can put Jeff Keppinger at third, but Wade would like to beef up the offense at third base if possible.

“We like the job Geoff Blum has done us the last two years or we wouldn’t have signed him,” Wade said. “Geoff did a tremendous job for us defensively and has done a pretty good job overall. We just look at our situation, and if there’s a way to tweak the offense a little bit, we’ll try to do something like that.

“Keppinger can play over there, and [Blum and Keppinger] did a good job for us. Both can play around in the infield and help us. Keppinger’s a very professional hitter and did a good job after he came over here. We’ve got Chris Johnson, and we still think he had a chance to be an outstanding big league player, whether that happens on Opening Day this year or down the road remains to be seen.”

The Astros’ starting outfield of Carlos Lee, Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence is set, and it appears Tommy Manzella could begin the season at shortstop. The right side of the infield has returning starters in Kaz Matsui (second base) and Lance Berkman (first base).

At catcher, Humberto Quintero, J.R. Towles and Jason Castro will compete for the two roster spots, barring some additional roster moves between now and February. There is a chance to the Astros could be in a low-cost free agent to be in the mix.

Beginning Friday, the Astros and other teams can open their wallets and start signing free agents. Based on my recent conversations with owner Drayton McLane and general manager Ed Wade — particularly McLane — it doesn’t appear the Astros will be opening their wallets very far. That depends on how you look at it.

The Astros still figure to have a very competitive payroll, but they are in a tight spot. Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt and Kaz Matsui will make a combined $54.5 million next year, and Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn and Wandy Rodriguez are going to get large raises in arbitration. The Astros say they can’t sustain the record $107 million payroll they had last season, but bringing back all the players already under contract could bring it already into the $80 million range.

Add LaTroy Hawkins (let’s say at $5 million) and you’re sitting at about $85 million. That leaves a little wiggle room. Add Jose Valverde ($12 million?) and you’re tapped out. Neither McLane nor Wade willl say exactly what the payroll will be, but if I was forced to guess I would say in the mid-$90 million range. As you can see, that doesn’t leave much room to take any additional contracts.

So, what are the Astros’ needs? A starting pitcher. A back-of-the-bullpen reliever? A right-handed hitting third baseman? Wade seems to think a reliever is the biggest concern. There’s no doubt they need a solid starting pitcher, but this takes us back to economics. A solid starting pitcher to plug into the No. 3 spot in the rotation probably isn’t affordable.

Wade said Wednesday he and his staff have made contact with dozens of available players. He said the Astros will be aggressive, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be dishing out a lot of offers.

Here’s a list of available free agents as compiled by mlbtraderumors.com (age is in parenthesis):

Astros general manager Ed Wade and several members of the front office spent a full day attending meetings Tuesday during the abbreviated General Mangers’ Meetings in Chicago, which began Monday and will end Wednesday.

Wade said he is still in the exploratory process of putting the 2010 club together and has had initial conversations with other club about their wants and needs. Activity at the GM Meetings will set the stage for the Winter Meetings next month in Indianapolis.

“We’ve had meetings all day today and also had the opportunity to sit and talk to other clubs, just trying to assess each other’s needs and whether there will be future discussions to be had down the road with regard to trades,” Wade said. “It’s been pretty much routine at this point.”

Wade said he has a “pretty good idea” at what level the payroll will be set next year, but he hasn’t had a chance to firm things up because of his hectic schedule since the end of the regular season, a schedule that has included a lengthy managerial search.

“We’ll have some more internal meetings when we’re all in the same city at the same time,” Wade said. “With the manager search, the trip to the [Arizona] Fall League and this trip, we’ve had little chance to sit down and have those discussions. We have a pretty fair idea at this point in time and we’ll bring it into greater clarity in the next week or so.”

When asked if the Astros were in position to add an impact player in the offseason, Wade wouldn’t give specifics. But I think it’s safe to say not to expect the Astros to make a run at a high-dollar pitcher like John Lackey.

“The definition of impact player, I struggle with that,” Wade said. “We’re going to do what we can to try to improve the ballclub. Without playing labels or trying to fit guys into categories, I think if there’s an opportunity to do something from a standpoint of free agency or trade, we’ll try to make the best decisions.”

New Astros manager Brad Mills will head to the Arizona Fall League this week for a get-to-know-you-better-meeting with general manager Ed Wade and members of his coaching staff, including third-base coach Dave Clark and hitting coach Sean Berry.

“Ed was real good about allowing us to bring in the coaching staff and sit and talk and have some meetings and get to know each other as a group No. 1, and talk individually about things about the ballclub,” Mills said. “We’ll learn about the ballclub and learn about a lot of the players we have in the organization and watch the fall league games.”

Here’s an update on each of the Astros’ prospects are doing in the AFL while playing for the Peoria Saguaros (through Sunday):

RHP Evan Englebrook: The 6-foot-8 reliever has a 5.87 ERA in six games. In 7 2/3 innings, he’s allowed 11 hits and struck out eight batters. Englebrook split time between Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Corpus Christi and was 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA this year.

Assistant GM Ricky Bennett says: “He continues to improve. The one thing we like about him is his ability to throw down hill. He creates a good arm angle. He’s velocity has been up. He’s been sitting at 92 to 97 [mph], which is good. He’s a big, tall guy and his mechanics can get out of whack, but he’s showing more consistency and more velocity. He’s a late-bloomer.”

RHP Chia-Jen Lo: The Taiwan native was 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA in six games in relief before having to return to Taiwan to complete some paperwork. He pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed seven hits, two walks and struck out 12 batters. Lo split this year between Class A Lancaster and Double-A Corpus Christi and was 1-2 with a 2.10 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings.

Assistant GM Ricky Bennett says: “He did pretty well. Our reports were all good. He continues to throw the ball well and pitch well. He’s really focused on using his breaking ball a lot more and has made progress with it. It’s not where it needs to be, but he’s starting to show more confidence and the ability to throw it for strikes. If he continues that focus, hopefully he comes into camp ready to pick up where he left off.”

RHP Wilton Lopez: After appearing in eight games with the Astros near the end of the season, including two starts, Lopez has pitched in three games in Arizona (two starts) and is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He threw four innings in relief in his most recent outing Thursday and allowed no runs and one hit.

Assistant GM Ricky Bennett says: “He’s starting to become a lot more consistent with his arm slot and his breaking ball is more consistent, and that’s due to a higher arm slot. That’s something we’ve worked on since we signed him. He continues to work hard and make adjustments. It’s just a matter of getting him some mound time.”

RHP Danny Meszaros: Coming off a solid split season between Class A Salem (0-0, 0.71 ERA) and Double-A Corpus Christi (3-3, 3.36 ERA), Meszaros has struggled in the desert. He’s pitched six games in relief and is 0-0 with a 9.53 ERA, allowing six hits and six runs in 5 2/3 innings. He’s also struck out eight.

Assistant GM Ricky Bennett says: “We’re not necessarily working on anything in particular in terms of mecanics. We just are trying to get him to have better command more than anything else. He pitches late in games and needs to get his command of his fastball down more consistently and use his breaking ball the same way.”

C Jason Castro: Last year’s first-round pick and catcher of the future is hitting .171 with a .286 on-base percentage and .257 slugging percentage in 35 at-bats. He has six hits, including one home run, and was walked five times and struck out eight times. But remember, this has been a long year for Castro, who endured his first full season of pro ball and then played for the U.S. in an international tournament in September.

Assistant GM Ricky Bennett says: “He’s doing fine. He’s not tearing it up numbers-wise by any means, but he continues to work well with pitchers. I got a reporter from David Bell, the manager, who said he’s receiving the ball well and could improvely slightly on fastballs down in teh zone. He has an excellent idea of calling a game and is throwing well and understands how to play the game the right way.”

2B Jose Vallejo: The infielder acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Ivan Rodriguez trade, Vallejo is hitting .135 with one RBI in 24 at-bats and six games. He has three hits, all singles, and has struck out six times.

Assistant GM Ricky Bennett says: “He’s doing OK. He’s staying on the ball better and his defense has been solid. He has good range, soft hands and an accurate arm. He’s a second baseman, but has had to play a little third base because of the makeup of the roster. He’s very athletic and plays hard. He’s been pulling off the ball, but lately he’s been trying to stay on the ball and use the whole field.”

OF Jon Gaston: Gaston, whose AFL Twitter updates can be followed by clicking here, is hitting .244 (11-for-45) with a double, four triples, one home runs and 10 RBIs. He has 10 walks and 20 strikeouts for an on-base percentage of .393 and a slugging percentage of .511. He hit .278 with 31 doubles, 15 triples, 35 homers and 100 RBIs at Class A Lancaster this year.

Assistant GM Ricky Bennett says: “He got off to a little bit of a slow start, and a lot of it is just timing. He had timing issues during the season and would get in longer slumps. He wouldn’t be aggressive and we kind of saw that when he first went out there. It took him some time to get his feet under him, but he has been swinging the bat better lately. He hit a grand slam a few games ago and that got him back on track. He’s hitting for power and takin ghis walks, but he still strikes out a little too much for us, and that’s something we have to address. He can play all three outfield position and is a gamer.”

Astros general manager Ed Wade and his baseball operations staff will begin interviewing candidates for the full-time manager job on Wednesday at Union Station. The Astros have about 10 names on their initial list of candidates, with interim manager Dave Clark the only candidate the club has disclosed to the public.

Wade said Thursday that Clark would probably the first to interview in what will likely be multiple interviews next week. After the candidate goes through the interview, he will sit down and meet with the media.

Wade got a positive response when he contact several candidates Friday.

“We made contact with quite a few of the prospective candidates and set interview times up for them,” he said. “This is a very attractive opportunity, and everyone I talked to today was very excited and pleased.”

Astros fans, consider yourselves lucky. You’re going to get to go through each step of the managerial interview process as if you were in the same room with Tal Smith and Ed Wade. Like they did when Wade was hired more than two years ago, the Astros are keeping the process open.

That means they’re going to announce who’s coming in to interview (or in some cases who they are going to interview) the day before the interview happens, and the candidate will be made available to the media when the interview is over. Not that we’ll gain any great insight from these guys after they interview, but it will be nice to know who the candidates are and what they bring to the table.

And I’ll be there to bring you all the details on the candidates. Of course, the quickest way to find out which candidates are going to be interview is to follow me on twitter: @brianmctaggart

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